Just Another Defense Professor
by MarissaTodd
Summary: AU Fifth Year. Albus found someone to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts before the Ministry could step in. The new teacher is talented and kind, yet there's something about her that Harry can't quite put his finger on. Is she really just another Defense professor? Dumbledore and Sirius bashing. Minor Ron and Ginny bashing. Pairing still undecided.
1. Prologue

This is my first non-DC related fic. I'm kinda nervous about how it's gonna turn out. I have a sort of plan for this, but not really, you know?

The idea for this has actually been in my head for a while. I'm happy to finally be writing it down. I'm sometimes kept up at night thinking about this story.

I really hope you enjoy reading this story.

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Severus would have led a better life.**

General POV

Albus Dumbledore was a great man, according to many in the European wizarding world. There were a few who were distrustful of him, justifiably so, but the vast majority was tricked and taken in by the grandfatherly smile on his face and the joyful twinkle in his eye. Few felt that he was a threat. After all, he defeated the dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald, so how bad could he be?

So, many would wonder why a man such as this was walking down a street in the middle of America at such a late hour, or why he went to the door of the mansion of a family who so openly practiced the Dark Arts.

The old man knocked on the mahogany door in a slow rhythm. A house elf that was young in appearance opened the door. Albus looked at the elf critically. The ugly creature was clothed in a tattered gold pillowcase made of silk with a purple outline of a horse on the front. It bowed and led him inside. They passed several doors and hallways decorated with various gold and silver decorations, purple and blue furniture, and several old portraits, before stopping in front of a light colored wooden door. The elf knocked.

A feminine voice called, "Enter," from inside of the room. The servant opened the door and bowed. "Your guest has arrived on schedule, Madame," it said in perfect English.

A woman in a purple night gown turned her head towards the door and replied, "Thank you, Regina. That will be all." The house elf nodded apparated away.

The woman's eyes turned toward her old headmaster and hardened. "Albus, please, take a seat," she said gesturing at the chair opposite her across a small table.

Albus did as he was told before stating, "I trust you know why I'm here."

The woman scoffed. "You want me to teach at your school. Why else would you ask to visit," she said, rolling her eyes. "There's no reason for me to return to Europe, as you well know."

"There is reason enough," supplied the man.

"What reason?" the woman asked harshly. "You made sure that _anything_ I wanted over there was taken from me!"

"Voldemort has returned," began Albus, effectively grabbing the other's full attention. "He returned near the end of the last school year. Harry Potter engaged him in a duel." A flicker of fear passed through the woman's eyes, causing him to smirk slightly. "While the boy survived, I'm afraid the Ministry is refuses to believe any of his claims concerning the situation. As such, they are planning to send a Ministry worker to Hogwarts to teach Defense against the Dark Arts. However, if I'm able to find another professor before then, they'll be unable to do anything of the sort. I was hoping you would be willing to fill the position."

"I'll do it," the woman said with a scowl.

The old man smiled and clapped his hands together. "Excellent!" he exclaimed. He quickly sobered, however, before warning, "You know you cannot tell the boy the truth."

"I'm a Slytherin," stated the woman coldly. "I'll do what's best when the time is right."

Albus sighed but nodded, knowing he wasn't going to get her to reconsider.

The woman had a smug smile on her face when she called for Regina to escort her guest out.

-LINE BREAK-

Harry's POV

Harry honestly felt tired as he half listened to the Sorting Hat's song and watched the new students get sorted. Between worrying over Sirius, Professor Dumbledore ignoring him, his feelings for Cho, his guilt for Cedric, whatever he was feeling towards Ron for becoming a prefect, and the very thought that the darkest wizard in history was back, he barely had any time to feel anything else.

He vaguely caught the fact that someone was teaching Care of Magical Creatures other than Hagrid. Harry looked up in shock as the headmaster continued. "And it's my pleasure to welcome Professor Cassiopeia Everpine who will be teaching Defense against the Dark Arts." A woman with long platinum blonde hair tied up in a ponytail smiled and nodded from her seat beside Professor Snape. Her soft brown eyes swept across the hall, pausing on him for a few seconds before continuing.

Before Harry knew it, he was chatting with his friends between bites of chicken. The subject was the new professor at the head table, who seemed to be talking contently with Snape.

"She seems alright," he said with a shrug.

"Alright!" Ron exclaimed. "Look at her. She's friends with _Snape!_ How is that supposed to make her alright?"

Hermione rolled her eyes before saying, "Ron, you can't judge her by who she talks to. They might not even be friends. I bet he's just giving her advice on how to properly teach here."

The redhead groaned. "That means we're all gonna fail."

"Ron!" Hermione chastised.

As the two began to argue, Harry turned his attention to Professor Everpine. She did seem to get on well with Snape. The boy felt suspicion spark in his mind, but he was really tired, so he brushed it off and continued eating.

-LINE BREAK-

Cassie's POV

Cassie was overjoyed to see Severus again. She missed him dearly while she was back home.

_But I had to leave, _she reminded herself, _I didn't have a choice. None of us did._

She felt herself becoming angry and sad, so she pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She was seeing an old friend for the first time in over a decade. Those feelings would have to wait.

"So," she began with a slight smile, "what can you tell me about the students here?"

Severus scowled. "Complete dunderheads, the lot of them. None fully grasp the importance of what they're failing to learn. Very few are better than others, but I have yet to find a single well-behaving student."

The blond giggled and thought, _same old Severus. Please don't ever change._

Deciding her friend wasn't going to be much help in _actually _learning about how her students would need to be taught, she changed topics.

As the students began leaving the hall, she spied a messy head of black hair amongst the Gryffindors.

**TBC…**

I like this chapter. It's a good opening, I think.

Severus is hard to write. He's a complicated character, but I still love him. He doesn't want to admit it, but he really cares for his students.

Any criticism you would like to share? Then please comment!


	2. It Begins

I can't believe that I can actually start writing a new chapter so quickly after the last one. I must really (unconsciously?) be excited over this story. Not to say that I didn't know I was excited, just not _really _excited.

Harry's going to have his Olcumency lessons sooner in this story. My reasoning is that Dumbledore most probably knew about the visions when he was having them.

I had the second and third chapters of this story on my computer already. I figured I could just combined them.

Enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Umbridge would have died in the same chapter she showed up in.**

Harry's POV

Breakfast the next morning was awful. The food was great, of course, but the stares and whispers were almost killing him by the time he received his schedule.

"Professor," he heard Hermione say, "There's something wrong with the schedule. It says we're having Defense with all four houses."

Harry looked at the paper in his hands. He was surprised when he read that his own schedule said that as well.

McGonagall nodded her head. "That is correct, Miss Granger." Then, she left without another word.

"What do you reckon this is about?" Ron asked. He didn't receive an answer.

-LINE BREAK-

The Golden Trio entered the DADA classroom later that day. As Harry looked around, he noticed for the first time just how small his year was. The room was able to sit all 32 kids comfortably. Professor Everpine was at her desk reading.

He sat down moments before the professor put down her book. "Well," she began in an American accent, "I'm impressed. Some people skipped the first day of classes when I went here. Five points to each of you." Hermione raised her had. "Yes, Miss…?"

"Granger," the brunette supplied. "I just wanted to know when you attended Hogwarts. Your accent is American, but I've never found any record of the American wizarding world in the library. I assumed we didn't have any interaction with it."

The blond nodded. "That's a good question," she said. "I came here every six months out of my years of schooling. My parents thought that I would benefit from learning here then going to The Witchcraft Academy for Girls back home to catch up on lessons that aren't taught here." She smiled. "Those lessons, along with some of our ideals, aren't quite…accepted here, so our societies don't really have anything to do with each other."

She then turned to the blackboard and wrote 'Sharing Time.' She turned back to the class and said, "Miss Granger actually started something I want to do to start off the year. I don't know you guys, and you guys don't know me. So, I would like to go around the room and have each of you state your name, House, favorite subject, least favorite subject, and what your favorite activity is." As she listed each of these, the chalk moved on its own to put them on the board. "I'll start. My name is Cassiopeia Everpine. I was in Slytherin. My favorite subject was Potions. I hated Care of Magical Creatures. I like to visit with my friends. Miss Granger, why don't you go next?"

The girl smiled and said, "I'm Hermione Granger. I'm a Gryffindor. I like Transfiguration. I dislike Divination. I like reading."

A few minutes and students later, it was Ron's turn. "I'm Ron Weasely. I'm in Gryffindor, and I _love_ Divination." He threw a smirk at Hermione who glared at him. "I hate Potions, and I love Quidditch."

Harry was sitting by Ron, so he began talking after his best mate stopped. "I'm Harry Potter." He waited a second in case of a reaction to his name, but continued when the professor only nodded at him. "I'm in Gryffindor. I like this class the most, funnily enough. I hate Potions, too. "I really like flying."

The class continued like that until all the students had gone. After that Professor Everpine told everyone they could talk amongst themselves for the rest of the period. She seemed to be thinking and writing something down.

"Wasn't that interesting?" Hermione asked her two friends when she came to sit with them.

Ron snorted, "A wastes of time, more like. The only thing we really learned was that she's evil."

The girl turned to face him. "What part of that indicated anything of the sort?" she asked.

"She was a Slytherin," the redhead replied, as if it were obvious. "All Slytherins are evil. Look now, I best she's writing about how she can kill everyone who isn't a no good, rotten snake!"

Harry looked at the blond at the front of the room while his friends bickered. She didn't seem evil. She'd been polite to everyone, as far as he could tell. She even smiled at Neville and encouraged him to speak louder when it was his turn.

Without thinking, he asked, "Why don't we talk to her after the lesson?" Everyone in fifth year had a free period after DADA because of the weird scheduling. He was pretty sure it gave everyone, students _and _teachers free periods. Hermione enthusiastically agreed, and Ron reluctantly followed.

-LINE BREAK-

Cassie's POV

The fifth years were leaving to enjoy their breaks. Cassie sighed. She wanted to do this to help with House unity. Albus was reluctant to agree to it, but had to give in when the other teachers became excited over the idea of more free time.

It didn't make her job much easier, however. She was staring at her notes on the students when she heard footsteps approach her. She looked up.

"Miss Granger. Mr. Weasely. Mr. Potter." She acknowledged with a smile. She didn't know why they were here, but she didn't let it show. She was a Slytherin. They didn't _do _surprised.

The girl of the group spoke up. "Hello, Professor. We were wondering if you could talk to us for a few minutes."

"Sure," replied the elder. "What would you like to talk about?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak, but Harry cut her off by asking, "Are you going to teach us something to use against Voldemort?"

Seeing the other two flinch amused Cassie. _Really now. There's nothing a name can do to you._ She thought for a moment before replying, "I'll be teaching you various spells. Their usefulness against Voldemort, however, is hard to say. He's powerful. There's not much I can teach you in this class that would seriously hurt him."

"There must be something," the dark haired boy pressed.

"I'll think about it," the professor assured.

"Anyway," the other boy piped up, "you're rather close to Snape." Hermione glared at him.

Cassie giggled at his attempt to subtly get defaming information on her. "Oh, Severus and I go way back. We were really close when I attended here."

"When _did_ you attend Hogwarts," Harry asked furrowing his brow.

"The seventies," the blond replied. She could practically see something in his head connecting. It made her slightly nervous yet proud.

"So you knew my parents," Harry said. The light in his eyes was almost too much, but the woman nodded anyway.

_Time to end this, _Cassie thought as she smiled and politely asked the students to leave. She had work to do anyway.

-LINE BREAK-

_Later That Week_

Harry's POV

It was official. Fate hated Harry Potter.

Dumbledore wanted him to take lessons on Olcumency from Snape! _Snape! _All he did was tell the headmaster about his weird dreams. There was no way he could stay in a room with that greasy git for an extra hour each day. There had to be some way to get out of it. Surely there's another professor who could help him instead.

That thought caused an idea to form. He just needed to wait until class.

-LINE BREAK-

Harry was the first to sit down in DADA that that day. He was sure this would work. If not, then at least he tried. Ron sat beside him as Professor Everpine acknowledged the class.

"Today is going to be slightly aggravating for most of you," she began as a Hufflepuff ran into the room. "One point from Hufflepuff. Please don't be late again, Mr. Smith," she said without missing a beat.

"Back to the point," she said, "You'll each be put into a group. Four people will make up each group. Every group member will be from a different House." She ignored the groans from around the room.

"It actually worked out quite nicely. There's the same number of fifth years in each House. The second, third, and seventh years are all uneven. It made my life that much more difficult," she said, ending with a sigh.

She shook her head then continued, "There will be various group assignments this year for you. What's more, you have to ask your group members if you need any help with individual work in class. Their grade will affect your grade and vice versa. If they can't help, ask me. _Do not _ask anyone from another group while you're in this room."

The professor then held up a sheet of paper. "I picked groups judging by the talk we all had yesterday," she informed the class.

Harry didn't listen much as the blond listed the groups. He only caught that Hermione was in Group Two with Hannah Abbott, Stephen Cornfoot, and Theodore Nott, and Ron was in Group Five with Michael Corner, Zacharias Smith, and Pansy Parkinson. He also caught that he was in Group Seven with Justin Flinch-Fletchley, Padma Patil, and Blaise Zabini.

"Now, get into your groups. After that, I want each group to think of one good and one bad thing about each House," ordered the professor, "Knowing your strengths and weaknesses, as well as those of your comrades, is essential for success in a battle.

-LINE BREAK-

Cassie's POV

Cassie wouldn't admit it to any of her colleagues, except maybe Severus, but the looks of displeasure on her student's faces was making her want to laugh. This was for unity in the school, of course. This would cause people to see passed prejudices and find friends in people that they wouldn't've ever considered otherwise.

Each member of every group had at least one thing in common with their fellow members. Group One all liked Herbology, Group Two hated Divination, Group Three liked drawing, Group Four liked Potions, which Group Five hated, Group Six hated Transfiguration, Group Seven liked Defense against the Dark Arts, Group Eight hated Astronomy, and Group Nine liked swimming. Some students could fit into multiple groups, but all could be put into one.

It was interesting to see how the kids interacted, though. Some groups needed to work together more, while others got along with ease. She looked over to Group Seven. Harry was trying, that was clear. He kept on sending Blaise nervous glances and casting longing looks towards his friends, but being taken out of your comfort zone can do that to you.

_He'll have to get over it,_ she thought, _nobody can win a war while being uncomfortable around their allies._

The blond spoke up from her seat. "Alright. Write your group's pros and cons on each House. All group members must sign it. Have it by next class. Have a nice day."

Harry's POV

Harry could admit that he might be being overly cautious. Zabini had never hurt him or his friends, but he was still a Slytherin. He didn't know if could last a whole year of this class if he had to work with a potential Death Eater. He decided to talk to Professor Everpine about it along his request.

"Mister Potter," the professor looked at him as he approached. Slight disappointment shown in her eyes. The boy grew anxious from that look. There was something about this professor…

He put that thought away for now. "I have a problem with my group," he stated.

"Really?" the woman raised an eyebrow before continuing, "This problem wouldn't be because one of your group members is a part of my old House, now would it?"

Harry cringed internally. He had forgotten this kind and friendly woman had once been a Slytherin. He sometimes even forgot she was a professor, with how she interacted with her students.

Said woman's eyes softened, and she sighed. "Harry, I won't be changing groups for anybody. Not even you. Think of this as a way to get to know different types of people. I know for a fact that the Zabinis go to Italy and Iceland often. Maybe you could learn about different cultures while making a new friend. I'll see you later."

Deciding to think more on that later, he asked, "Actually, Professor, I need to ask if you would tutor me in Olcumency. It's something Professor Dumbeldore wants me to learn."

The professor looked as if she might decline, but then nodded. "I'll… I'll do it. Yeah," she said. He left the classroom after that.

-LINE BREAK-

Cassie's POV

"What was I _supposed _to do, Severus? Just leave the kid hanging?" asked the woman in an exasperated tone. She looked across a small table towards her best friend. She clutched a coffee cup in her hand as she sat in the living area of her personal quarters. Nervousness filled her.

He looked at her worriedly. "Why didn't you? If the boy is able to enter your mind in an attempt to barricade you from his, he'll be able to see your memories, memories that he doesn't need to see!"

Cassie bit her lip. Was she good enough at Olcumency to keep him out? Maybe. Was he probably be going to see her memories anyway? There was no doubt that he'd be good enough to do that. Was she regretting agreeing to help him? A little. Did she ultimately want him to find out…? Yes.

**TBC…**

I'm actually kinda surprised none of the teachers in the books had 'Sharing Time.' All the teachers I had did that on the first day in some form or another.

Anyway, you'll find out what Cassie has planned soon.

Please comment.


	3. Strengths and Weaknesses

My internet's down tonight, so I decided to write. The rhyming in that sentence was not my intention. I like this story and want to move it along, anyway.

Enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, I would be too busy rolling in money to ever write fanfiction.**

Cassie's POV

Looking at herself in the mirror in her bedroom, Cassie couldn't help but be a little frightened. Tonight was the first night of Harry's Olcumency lessons. She was great at shielding her mind as well as reading others'. She just knew Harry would have a knack for it, too, with the right teaching.

There were so many memories that shouldn't be shared, though. Especially not with the young raven: her lessons at the academy, saving Severus, shouting at Sirius, helping Lily prepare to walk down the aisle, laughing with James, the dark silhouette of a man above her on her bed, that same man looking at her with nothing but love in his eyes…

Smiling through tears as she gazed upon a brand new life in her arms.

That last thought caused her to tear up momentarily. Her mind started to yell at her. _Calm down! There's no changing the past! You have to get a grip on yourself!_

She took a deep breath before heading out into the hallway. There was no sign that anything was wrong on her face by the time that she entered her classroom. Harry was already there. He must've heard her, because he looked up. His emerald eyes were bright. The woman felt a slight pang in her chest.

Lily. She had always wanted to be a mother. She was giddy for _weeks_ after she learned that she was pregnant. Cassie was in her third month, so they were planning on raising their kids to be the best of friends. Both of their husbands were highly amused by the behavior of the two women.

The blond had to restrain herself from showing anger at the thought of the monster that took it all away. Those three were _gone_ now because of him. All so that _psychopath_ could ensure his power over the wizarding world.

Harry's POV

Harry smiled at the woman in front of him. She was wearing a sleek, soft brown dress that matched the color of her eyes, her pale skin had a certain glow to it, and her hair was up in a ponytail, as usual. He had to admit that she was pretty. He greeted her.

Professor Everpine just stared at him for a few seconds. She then smiled and said, "Good evening, Harry. Let's get started, shall we?" She conjured up two chaired that were facing each other in the front of the room and sat in one of them. Harry took the other. "How's life?" she asked.

"Excuse me?" he asked back.

"This is not simple magic here, Harry," she began to explain. "The mind in and of itself is one of the most complicated things known to man. A wizard can and has gone insane trying to perform any type of 'mind magic.' To prevent this, it's ideal to clear your head. The easiest way to do that is to talk out your problems, rant about frustrations, and admitting your fears to another. So, I'll ask again. How's life?" When all she got in response was a slightly confused looked, she tried again. "How about we started on what you think of the different people in your life, okay? And we'll both contribute to the conversation. Say your opinion, then I'll say mine."

The boy thought for a bit. "My best mate's Ron Weasely. He's the best bloke I've ever met, probably. He's loyal and brave. He's also great at wizard's chess. I've never been able to win against him. And I guess… that's all."

The professor nodded. "From what I both observed and heard so far, Mr. Weasely is a very plain boy. He slacks off in class and doesn't understand a lot of the material. That's not all that abnormal, but a problem arises in his behavior towards others. He's selfish and insecure more often than not, and he seems to take his frustrations out on whoever he finds to be the center of what he wants."

Harry wanted to defend his friend, but memories from last year stopped him. He decided to continue with the main topic.

"Hermione Granger's also my mate. She's really smart and loyal."

"And so polite!" the blonde added with a laugh.

-LINE BREAK-

Harry couldn't believe how much lighter he felt after talking to his professor. In the hour-long session, they talked about Cho, his parents, Remus, Ron, Hermione, and Dumbledore. He wanted to talk about Sirius, too, but he was still on the run. Even the morning after the session, he felt so light that he was sure he could fly without his Firebolt.

Professor Everpine had gotten a distant or angry look in her eyes a couple of times, but her opinions were never too harsh. She seemed like she wanted to say more about the headmaster, though. That kind of thing was rather surprising to Harry. Most people loved Dumbledore, but the woman seemed to have something against him.

_(Flashback)_

"_Professor Dumbledore is the closest thing I have to a mentor," Harry said. Professor Everpine stiffened but nodded, so the raven continued. "He's always there for me and always knows what to say. I think he might be a Seer or something."_

_The blond smiled tightly and, in a strained voice, said, "The headmaster does seem like a capable man. He managed to make his way to the top and seems to like it there. He doesn't look like a bad person, right?"_

_Harry had a feeling that question shouldn't be answered._

_(End Flashback)_

"So, did you figure out anything about her, mate?" asked Ron as they sat down for breakfast. "Like when she became a Death Eater?"

"Ron!" Hermione said in annoyance. "No matter what happened, its Harry's choice to tell us or not."

She then turned to Harry. "Actually, I was in the library looking through old school books. Did you know Hogwarts has those? Like muggle yearbooks. Anyway, I found Professor Everpine in several pictures with your parents Harry."

"Really?" the raven haired boy asked as his eyes lit up. The brunette nodded and was about to say more when her eyes caught on something behind him.

Zabini was lazily walking to where they sat. "Potter," he said as he came to a stop.

"Zabini," Harry acknowledged.

The Slytherin's voice became slightly demanding as he said, "In the library. Third period _is_ free for you correct?" The other boy nodded. "Don't be late." The Italian then walked away.

-LINE BREAK-

The library was eerily silent. Harry wasn't sure if that was cause by the way Pince was glaring at anything that made too much noise or his own dread. As he sat down at the table he saw the others at Justin smiled and Padma said hello. Zabini just shot him a disinterested glance.

"So," Padma began after a few awkward seconds, "We're supposed to name one good and one bad thing about each House. Which one do you want to start with?" She looked around the table.

Justin fidgeted in his chair a bit as he mumbled, "Well, Hufflepuffs are loyal."

Padma shook her head. "That's a trait of the House, yes, but I was thinking of maybe using the less talked about ones." Justin stammered.

Zabini spoke up next. "Puff's don't argue when they don't believe their situation is fair."

"That's exactly what I meant!" the girl shot Zabini a smile before writing his words down.

"We can't fit in sometimes," Justin said sadly. Nobody spoke as Padma wrote that down, too.

The Indian looked towards me and smiled teasingly, "Gryffindors are idiots," she said.

"Not true," Harry said louder than he meant to. After receiving a glare from the librarian, he whispered, "We're just brave enough to do what no one else will!"

The other boy snorted. "To the point where it's suicidal."

Those two things were what the group eventually agreed to write down. It was also decided that Ravenclaws were able to strategize in dangerous situations but were self-important. Slytherin was last and the hardest.

"I still say that Malfoy is the worst thing about that House," Harry argued.

Zabini, who insisted that, because we were going to spend a lot of time together, he be called Blaise, shook his head. "You don't know Draco that well. He's a good person."

"Who calls one of my best mates a Mudblood," the other boy deadpanned.

The Italian's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, he was just… What's that American phrase? Pulling her pigtails."

Justin looked shocked. "You mean Malfoy likes Hermione?"

At Blaise's smirk, Padma giggled and said, "I knew it!"

**TBC…**

I know what direction I want to go with for this story, but getting there is hard work. Thinking up ideas is exhausting sometimes.

I like Cassie. She's one of the more normal characters that I've ever thought up. She's just a normal person. As normal as any witch can be, anyway.

Comment please. Suggestions are always welcomed.


	4. The Past Haunts Us

I'm tired today, but I figure writing will do me some good. Don't try to figure out how my mind works; I don't even know.

My grandma's sick, and I'm really worried about her. She's always been in relatively to really good health. Maybe getting old just changes that.

Enjoy reading!

**Disclaimer: I'm not JKR, or British, for that matter. I don't own anything related to Harry Potter.**

Harry's POV

The months went on and, honestly, Harry couldn't have been more satisfied with how this year was turning out. He was still being labeled as crazy, but Ron and Hermione were helping him through that. Justin, Padma, and Blaise were becoming close friends of his, too. They met up in DADA or the library for their written assignments. They were concerned about where they could practice their magic, so Professor Everpine show them a room that would fit their needs called the Room of Requirement. She said it would be their little secret.

Sadly, there were downsides to the year, too. A lot of people were against him now, Dumbledore was still ignoring his existence, and there was tension between two of his friends. Ron made it perfectly clear that he hated Blaise and wouldn't spend any time near the Slytherin. He and Hermione weren't getting on with their own groups, either. In fact, most of the fifth year groups were full of hostility, which caused many of the students to become angry easily offended throughout the day. Nobody else could seem to get along with others who had completely different interests than them. The raven thought it was actually rather easy.

Justin was a good bloke. He was always ready to help, even if it interfered with whatever he had planned. He once told Harry that he couldn't stand the thought of another person being uncomfortable, let alone in pain. He also loved to have fun. There were times when he decided to have the Req. Room (as the four had taken to calling it) play a variety of muggle music and dance around.

Padma was sweet. Harry was worried at first that she would be like Parvati, but she wasn't. She was intelligent and had a composed nature. She didn't use more words than she felt she should. She had said that, because she was the heiress of the Patil family, she had to have a mind and personality for politics but still be kind and courteous. She enjoyed cloud and star gazing and could often be found on the Astronomy Tower or looking outside of her dormitory window during her free periods.

Blaise was surprisingly easy to like. He changed from quiet to sassy and back again when needed. He explained that he never knew his dad and some of his mum's late husbands would hurt him in various ways, so he had to appear cold in public. He refused to tell his mum this, though. Though she loved and worried over him a lot, she needed to marry and remarry to have her husbands' money when they die. He was multi-lingual and could speak Italian, English, French, Russian, Icelandic, Swedish, German, three different types of Arabic, and Hungarian. He liked to spend time around people. It, apparently, made him feel safer.

Honesty, Harry was grateful for his group members. He felt like he could always talk to them just to be _talking_ and not have to deal with worried, awe-filled, or sympathetic comments.

One thing did puzzle the boy. While he was in Olcumency lessons with Professor Everpine, she held back. She never went easy on him, no, but when he would accidently enter her mind in attempts to make her get out of his, which happened at least twice a lesson lately, he would always find a wall. He knew she had a right to her own memories. Even so, he couldn't shake the feeling that he should see what's on the other side.

He shook his head to clear it. The reason he was at the door to her private quarters was so that he could find out more about his parents. He had written to Remus and Sirius about the new professor. Sirius didn't reply, but Remus sent him a letter telling him that he knew her from Hogwarts and that they were in the same year, but he couldn't remember how close, if at all, they were.

"Harry!" Professor Everpine exclaimed when she opened the door. She was dressed in a purple night gown with a golden outline of a horse neighing while its front legs were up in the air on her chest. "What on earth are you doing here? Do you have any idea what time it is, young man?" He didn't, but the tired look on her face told him that it was late.

Cassie's POV

"I have something to ask you, ma'am," Harry stated.

The blonde raised an eyebrow. "That couldn't wait until morning?" He shook his head. Sighing, Cassie said, "Well, a teacher should always be available to her students, I guess. Come on it. Want something? My house elf would be happy to make it." Snapping her fingers, Regina appeared beside her.

"What can I do for you, Madam?" the creature asked with a bow. Cassie nodded at Harry.

"Um, well, tea would be nice." The elf nodded and went to the kitchen area.

Sitting on the couch, the woman couldn't help but be slightly worried that Harry found out somehow. She had been trying _so hard _to keep it a secret. After Regina brought the tea, Cassie asked him why he was there.

"You knew my mum and dad," the raven began bluntly. "I was wondering what you could tell me about them. I mean, I heard some stories already, but… What were they like? What did they do for fun? Did you get on together? What about Sirius and Remus? Were they your friends?" He said all of that so quickly that Cassie's mind struggled to keep up.

She considered her options for a moment. On one hand, this could make keeping him in the dark about some things difficult. On the other, those pleading eyes were hard to resist.

Sipping her tea, she said, "James was, energetic, to say the least. He was always running around causing mischief. He was extremely friendly to his friends, but, well," Cassie sighed. He did deserve to know this. "James was a bully, Harry. He had no regard for anyone outside his group of friends. He went too far. A lot. He was arrogant, too. The Potter line is very old you see, just slightly younger than the Blacks. Coupled that with how much his parents spoiled him, he acted like he was a king." Silence fell. Harry looked disappointed. It was hard finding out someone you loved was less than perfect, especially when you never knew them. She didn't have that problem often, because Slytherins had to learn how to spot imperfections early on.

"However," Cassie continued at seeing Harry's expression, "he wasn't prejudice. He had friends from every House. He saw the good in everyone." The boy looked surprised, and she chuckled. "Yes; even Slytherins. His mother was one when she attended here."

Cassie began losing herself in memories. It took all her control to snap out of it. "Lily was arrogant, too, but in a more, for lack of a better word, humble manner. She loved life and knew how successful she was at it, but it never stopped her from being a friend you could count on. She used her strengths to manipulate people who hurt those she cared about. She couldn't stay out of a friend's problem to save her life. She was a little in your face but, she was very kind and understanding."

"Remus was a book worm and followed the rules. However, he was also a trickster at heart. He memorized many of this school's rule to find their loopholes. He was fair in giving out punishments but shy when he wasn't on patrol. He took grades seriously but had fun, too. He over-stressed himself at times and verged on a few breakdowns, but, well, I think you get the idea."

Cassie felt anger rise as more memories hit her. "Sirius Black," she ground out through a tight smile, "was very… certain… in himself and what he thought was right. It didn't matter who it was that stood in his way." She closed her mouth. She was close to exploding with rage at the mention of that, that, URGH!

She asked the younger to leave. She wanted to scream in her pillow and didn't want to show such weakness in front of a student.

-LINE BREAK-

"_That would usually conclude the Sorting ceremony, however today we welcome a very special student to these halls! She will attend Hogwarts for six months every year, then return to The Witchcraft Academy for Girls in her home country of North America. Minerva, if you will," the Headmaster boomed from the Head Table._

_A stern looking woman wearing glasses cleared her throat before shouting, "Everpine, Cassiopeia." A young blonde calmly made her way to a stool and sat down, waiting for the Sorting Hat to land on her head; she had seen this happen to the other first years._

'_Well, well, well, what do we have here?' The girl was surprised that the hat was talking to her, but she did her best to keep it from showing. 'A sophisticated one, eh? This should be interesting. Your loyalty is astounding, but your true loyalty is shown only to a precious few. Hufflepuff is not for you, then. Hmmm. Courageous, but not outlandishly so. Not Gryffindor. Your intelligence is high, yes. Ravenclaw would serve you well. Cunning, ambitious, secretive, hmmm. Better be SLYTHERIN!' The last word was said out loud._

_The table with the green and silver banner started cheering. The girl walked to the table and looked for a place to sit. A boy with slightly greasy black hair with his head bent low who was sitting close to the middle of the table. There were at least two empty spaces on each side of him, like the other students were ignoring him. The blonde filled one of the spots. "Hello," she said warmly._

_The boy looked up. Black eyes flickering with surprise before becoming suspicious. After studying her for a minute, he nodded and said in a monotone voice, "Severus Snape."_

_The girl smiled slightly. She liked this one. "Cassiopeia Everpine, but call me Cassie."_

""""""""

_Cassie was sitting by Lily and James in the Gryffindor common room. Sirius walked through the portrait hole wearing a smug smile. His eyes gained a look of hatred the moment he saw the blonde._

"_What's that snake doing here?" he demanded._

_Lily sighed. "Really, Black," she began, "when will you grow up? Cassie's in here, because we want her in here. You don't have to stay. Wait; weren't you saying something about spending some quality time with Remus tonight?"_

_Sirius looked downright malicious as he sneered. "Yeah, well, I thought Moony might like a snake. Grease isn't good for him, but I reckoned I ought to let him have some tonight." He walked up the stairs to the boys' dormitory._

_After taking a moment to ponder the other boy's words, James paled and ran out of the room. The girls just sat there, confused. After a few hours, he came back to tell them that Remus, who was apparently a werewolf, had attacked Severus._

""""""""

_Pain filled the woman's senses. She barely registered her husband's attempts to calm her down. Her screams filled the room._

_She was told this would happen. There were many women who spoke of the excruciating pain of birthing a wizard. Still, nothing could have prepared her for this. It almost made her want to rethink having another someday._

_Almost._

_After what felt like hours, crying replaced the screams. She looked up and saw the healer smile widely as she handed James the baby._

"_He's beautiful, Cassie," he said softly. The blonde soon found a baby boy in her arms. He opened soft brown eyes and studied her curiously. The woman smiled at the sight._

"_Welcome to the world Harim James Potter."_

Brown eyes opened to see Regina by the bed. "Forgive me, Madam," she began, "but Mister Snape is at the door. He claims that there is an emergency."

**TBC…**

I didn't want to leave you guys in the dark for too long, so Cassie dreamed about memories. Her big secret is revealed! Well, not all of it. There's still the matter of what happened next, past-wise. I don't know when you'll find that out, though. I like to think this stuff up as I write.

No offence to Jilly shippers, but I just don't like it when a guy meets and falls in love with a girl at a really young age and they end up together forever. It's too cliché for me. I'm going to ignore the fact that that's what happened to my grandparents.

I kind of feel like I shouldn't have left Peter out entirely. I'll probably think of a way to put him in at some point.

NO! I didn't make a mistake. Remus doesn't know if they were friends or not. That will be explained later.

Harim is pronounced 'har-reem.'

This might be a bit strange to say in a story pertaining to witchcraft, but Merry Christmas!


End file.
